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m_a_j's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
boba_n_books's review
5.0
To say that this was a lovely tale would be doing it a disservice. Howl's Moving Castle is excellent and just what I needed.
As the eldest daughter, Sophie knows her life won't turn out to be anything spectacular. But, as her two younger sisters set off to fulfill their own destinies, Sophie wonder if there isn't more to life than working as a hatter. Her world is turned completely upside down when the Witch of the Waste visits the hat shop and turns Sophie into a 90-year-old woman. Sophie's only hope of breaking the spell is Wizard Howl--the man who lives in a moving castle and who is rumored to eat young women. Sophie bravely ventures off to find Howl's moving castle, and when she does, she encounters a fire demon and a young apprentice who also live in the castle. Sophie quickly adapts to her new environment since Howl, thankfully, doesn't throw her out; and through their many adventures, she discovers that there is more to the wizard, his companions, and his residence than meets the eye.
The story fully enchanted me, and I wish I would have read it sooner. Since I've never seen the movie, I found myself turning the pages at a breakneck speed to see what was going to happen to Sophie, Howl, and their companions. At first, the plot seems simple, but when you look a little closer, you find a journey of self-discovery hidden within the whimsical pages. We as humans are often put into boxes from the moment we're born, and if we so choose, we can confine ourselves to those boxes. However, if we are as brave as Sophie was to set out and forge a different path, we too can break free.
As the eldest daughter, Sophie knows her life won't turn out to be anything spectacular. But, as her two younger sisters set off to fulfill their own destinies, Sophie wonder if there isn't more to life than working as a hatter. Her world is turned completely upside down when the Witch of the Waste visits the hat shop and turns Sophie into a 90-year-old woman. Sophie's only hope of breaking the spell is Wizard Howl--the man who lives in a moving castle and who is rumored to eat young women. Sophie bravely ventures off to find Howl's moving castle, and when she does, she encounters a fire demon and a young apprentice who also live in the castle. Sophie quickly adapts to her new environment since Howl, thankfully, doesn't throw her out; and through their many adventures, she discovers that there is more to the wizard, his companions, and his residence than meets the eye.
The story fully enchanted me, and I wish I would have read it sooner. Since I've never seen the movie, I found myself turning the pages at a breakneck speed to see what was going to happen to Sophie, Howl, and their companions. At first, the plot seems simple, but when you look a little closer, you find a journey of self-discovery hidden within the whimsical pages. We as humans are often put into boxes from the moment we're born, and if we so choose, we can confine ourselves to those boxes. However, if we are as brave as Sophie was to set out and forge a different path, we too can break free.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Violence
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A whimsical, fairytale-esque fantasy that, though slightly different from the Studio Ghibli adaptation, was wonderfully enjoyable! Definitely planning to read the rest of the books set in this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol
novella42's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I liked this book far more than I expected to, and for the first half or more of the book I was wondering if I possibly enjoyed it more than the Ghibli film. In the end, I was a little too baffled by the wackiness of all the inexplicable things happening, and decided I enjoyed the film a little more. But! It was a very enjoyable book and I am adding it to my shelf of comfort reads.
I think my favorite part was getting a clearer glimpse at the interiority of the characters (mostly Sophie) and what made them tick. It's very clear to me now that Howl is neurodivergent and likely coded for autism, though it's unclear how aware the author was of that when she wrote it in 1986. Mild spoiler:His green slime "tantrum" makes far more sense to me now that I've read more on autism and the how/why of meltdowns. I kept wanting her to be more compassionate for him, which is one reason I'm marking this as moderate Ableism. I ended up liking Howl more and Sophie a little less for these reasons, which surprised me.
Howl, the resident Manic Pixie Dreamboy, is still a frustrating character with a lot of elements of misogyny to unpack, concerning infidelity and relationships with minors. For example, Sophie is 17 and he is in his early/mid 20s. (There's no Storygraph tag for ageism, but this book definitely has a lot of ageism, with many characters valuing youth above all else in small and large ways.) Howl is kind to her in different ways, and they seem to (kind of?) work well together, but it's not clear to me exactly why she falls for him after being frustrated with him for most of the book. It felt like a lot of stuff I've read/seen from the 80s where a lot of stuff gets excused because love enters the equation.
Howl's Moving Castle has a very "oral history fairytale told around the fire" kind of voice to me. A lot happens in exposition. Also, I don't typically enjoy mysteries because I can rarely solve the puzzles before the end and don't get the dopamine hit from that which some friends enjoy. But I suspect if you enjoy solving mysteries, this one might feel a little, um. Oddball.
I hesitated to read this book because body horror is usually a hard no for me due to trauma, but a friend said it wasn't graphic in the way I usually find hard, so I gave it a try with the reading equivalent of tiptoeing cautiously into the book. It ended up being fine for me. If anyone else is concerned about that, here's a clear detailed spoiler of what that means:
The body horror themes come in two main parts: First, Sophie is cursed to live in the body of an elderly woman, which seems to be emotionally empowering/liberating but physically painful and dangerous as she's prone to heart attacks and fears about mortality. There's quite a bit of detail in this, and my own bones creaked in sympathy. Second, there are several characters who are cursed to live "in parts" -- these are not bloody or gory scenes and while there is some emotional distress and sadness, it is moderate to mild when compared to other more prominent storylines. But an antagonist wants to combine these different parts of people into a single whole to control them. The most graphic elements are when a side character is described as having no head, and another character magically pulls a skull into their own head to be able to talk. Finally, there are other body horror elements of transformation, people getting turned into animals and trying to turn back, plus one person is killed and becomes bones in a very fairytale way. It all feels very theoretical with magical realism and lacks the kind of gritty, visceral realism a lot of books would probably try to bring to the table if this were published in 2023. It's mostly "X happened" and not so much "they felt such and such when X happened in this specific detailed way."
I think my favorite part was getting a clearer glimpse at the interiority of the characters (mostly Sophie) and what made them tick. It's very clear to me now that Howl is neurodivergent and likely coded for autism, though it's unclear how aware the author was of that when she wrote it in 1986. Mild spoiler:
Howl, the resident Manic Pixie Dreamboy, is still a frustrating character with a lot of elements of misogyny to unpack, concerning infidelity and relationships with minors. For example, Sophie is 17 and he is in his early/mid 20s. (There's no Storygraph tag for ageism, but this book definitely has a lot of ageism, with many characters valuing youth above all else in small and large ways.) Howl is kind to her in different ways, and they seem to (kind of?) work well together, but it's not clear to me exactly why she falls for him after being frustrated with him for most of the book. It felt like a lot of stuff I've read/seen from the 80s where a lot of stuff gets excused because love enters the equation.
Howl's Moving Castle has a very "oral history fairytale told around the fire" kind of voice to me. A lot happens in exposition. Also, I don't typically enjoy mysteries because I can rarely solve the puzzles before the end and don't get the dopamine hit from that which some friends enjoy. But I suspect if you enjoy solving mysteries, this one might feel a little, um. Oddball.
I hesitated to read this book because body horror is usually a hard no for me due to trauma, but a friend said it wasn't graphic in the way I usually find hard, so I gave it a try with the reading equivalent of tiptoeing cautiously into the book. It ended up being fine for me. If anyone else is concerned about that, here's a clear detailed spoiler of what that means:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Body horror, Confinement, Infidelity, and Stalking
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Fatphobia, Ableism, Mental illness, Sexism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, War, Cursing, Death of parent, Vomit, Alcohol, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, and Slavery
theirgracegrace's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A delightful romp through a fairy-tale, Howl's Moving Castle is a great middle grade fantasy. Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three, so naturally she gets cursed by a witch and leaves her home to find a cure. She ends up at the moving castle of Wizard Howl, a mischievous magician with incredible magical prowess but very little sense. The characters are so hilarious to listen to as they bicker and plot and scheme, and the magic is so vague and mysterious that it's impossible to figure out how it works. The ending answers so many questions that dog Sophie and Howl throughout the book and ties everything up nicely. A great read, even if (like me) you've never seen the Studio Ghibli film before!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Body horror, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism
grizzlysnack's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you're looking for whimsical fantasy, this book is for you!
The writing is wonderfully done and executed (especially for the foreshadowing and clues scattered throughout the book!), and the characters are full of spunk and personality. Just don't expect it to be exactly like the Ghibli movie! :)
The writing is wonderfully done and executed (especially for the foreshadowing and clues scattered throughout the book!), and the characters are full of spunk and personality. Just don't expect it to be exactly like the Ghibli movie! :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Body horror
Moderate: Murder and Death
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a book club read that finally came through for me on Libby. I didn't feel like I was missing out on much because I have long been a fan of the movie. As such it's great to finally read the source material, because these things are generally better for having more time to develop the characters and more insight into the motivations.
The book is certainly clearer to understand than the film. It is made clear that Sophie interacts with inanimate objects and respects them more than most people, but because it's her "normal" she doesn't realise that the things she says to the things that she talks to or makes are taken to heart by those items. She is innately magical, but does not see it. This has a subversive, dreamy quality, and I could see how it would be inspirational to a young reader... what if I am magical too, and I just haven't noticed, or figured out the trick of it?
A lot of the little descriptions in the books are rendered in the movie very faithfully. Little things like feeding eggshells to the fire have been faithfully captured in the animated version, though as is always the case, the movie just doesn't have the scope to unpack all the backstory provided in the book.
I am very glad that I got the chance to check this version out, as it fills out a lot more of a story that I already loved. It would be a great read for the 10+ age group.
The book is certainly clearer to understand than the film. It is made clear that Sophie interacts with inanimate objects and respects them more than most people, but because it's her "normal" she doesn't realise that the things she says to the things that she talks to or makes are taken to heart by those items. She is innately magical, but does not see it. This has a subversive, dreamy quality, and I could see how it would be inspirational to a young reader... what if I am magical too, and I just haven't noticed, or figured out the trick of it?
A lot of the little descriptions in the books are rendered in the movie very faithfully. Little things like feeding eggshells to the fire have been faithfully captured in the animated version, though as is always the case, the movie just doesn't have the scope to unpack all the backstory provided in the book.
I am very glad that I got the chance to check this version out, as it fills out a lot more of a story that I already loved. It would be a great read for the 10+ age group.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Body horror, and Confinement
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Mental illness
Minor: War and Death
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I knew the movie existed but I had never watched it. I picked this book as part of a reading challenge for reading a book published in the year I was born.
I'm so glad I did because I have fallen madly in love. (But I was hella disappointed to find out the movie is vastly different.) Every single character is absolutely charming and unique and so damn memorable and I can't remember ever reading a book in which I belly-laughed so hard. The humor was just so perfectly placed without distracting the reader from the seriousness of Sophie's whole predicament. Sophie and Howl's relationship was so touching and I enjoyed how they developed from bickering constantly to... well... read the book and you'll see!
I just loved it. Loved it so so so so much. I can't describe it any more words.
I'm so glad I did because I have fallen madly in love. (But I was hella disappointed to find out the movie is vastly different.) Every single character is absolutely charming and unique and so damn memorable and I can't remember ever reading a book in which I belly-laughed so hard. The humor was just so perfectly placed without distracting the reader from the seriousness of Sophie's whole predicament. Sophie and Howl's relationship was so touching and I enjoyed how they developed from bickering constantly to... well... read the book and you'll see!
I just loved it. Loved it so so so so much. I can't describe it any more words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Body horror
Moderate: Death
Minor: Violence
draven_deathcrush's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
if i had read the book first i probably would've liked it more :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Alcohol and Death of parent
enabditouri_'s review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol